Convertible furniture



T. F. KELLY.-

Patented Oct. 7, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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I 2- J J? 00 0 5 M 0 o 2135 A 2 5 6 j I T. F. KELLY.

CONVERTIBLE FURNITURE.

APPLIQATION FILED FEB- 4. 1919.

Patented Oct. 7,1919.

2 SHEETS- SHEET 2.

I causes the ond objection is found chains, at times, become twisted andWlll not THOMAS IF. KELLY, OF CLINTON,

CONVERTIBLE IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOSEPH A. KELLY,

OF CLINTON, IOWA.

FURNITURE.

Application filed February 4,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS F. KnLLr, a citizen of the United States,residing at Clinton, in the county of Clinton and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Convertible Furniture, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to convertible furniture of that type betterknown as a bed davenport, and is designed, primarily, as an improvementupon the structure disclosed in Patent Number 1,27 6,227 issued toWilliam J. Kelly on August 20th, 1918.

Heretofore, in the construction of devices of this character, it hasbeen the practice to limit the relative movement of certain of thesections, during the operation of opening the bed, by providing chainswhich connect the said sections and become taut when the sections comeinto alinement, holding the sections in alinement until the legs orsupports come into contact with the floor. These chains have been foundto be objectionable for several reasons. First, while the bed is beingopened the intermediate and outer movable sections thereof, on passingthe center of gravity, will move suddenly relative to each other untilthey come into alinement whereupon they will be brought to an abruptstop by the chains. This often chains to break or to tear their from thesections.- It also imparts an objectionable jolt to the arms and body ofthe person opening the bed. A secin the fact that the fastenings allowthe sections to move into alinement. A further objection is that itbecomes necessary, when closing the bed, to swing the movable sectionsupwardly to a substantially vertical position before folding them towardeach other, in order to allow the slack chain to drop into properposition within the intermediate section of the bed.

The present invention has for an object the elimination of the foregoingobjectionable feature, by providing a novel form of cushioning elementbetween the movable sections of the bed and which yieldingly resists thecomplete opening of the bedso as thus to eliminate the objectionablejarring of the body and the danger of breaking any of the parts as aresult of the sudden stopping of therelative swinging-movement of thesections. A. further nb eet is m prcvidea Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented 0ct. 7, 1919.

1919. Serial No. 274,931.

cushioning connection of this character which becomes slightly slackwhen the bed is fully extended to active position upon the floor andwhich allows the operator, when closing the bed, to first lift only theouter end section after which the connection will when drawn taut, pullupon and lift the in: termediate section, the gradual increase in theweight being lifted by the operator, rendering the structure easier toclose than would be the case should it be necessary to lift the entireweight of the two movable sections at the beginning of the closingoperation. Another object is to so arrange the connection that, when themovable sections are brought to a certain elevation during the closingoperation, they will be shifted automatically relative to each other soas to close easily and accurately into the frame of the structure.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter morefully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood thatvarious changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of. theparts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ofitheadvantages of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings thepreferred form of the invention has beenshown.

In said drawings- Figure 1 is avertical longitudinal section through thebed davenport extended or unfolded for use as a bed.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the structure with the back removed andthe parts positioned for use as a davenport.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the structure extended, parts being removed.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the yieldable connection in the positionassumed thereby when the bed is extended for use.

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the same in the position assumed afterthe first stage gfdthe lifting operation, while closing the Fig. 6 isanother like view showing the connection as it 'ap ears when the bed isclosed for use as a avenport.

, Referrin to the figures by characters of reference, a designates thehousing er'main structure of the article, the samle being provided witha stationary bottom section B to the front of which is hingedlyconnected a movable intermediate section C. An end movable section D ishingedly connected to the section 0 and when the article is used as adavenport, the section C constitutes the seat while the section Dvextends upwardly therefrom and forms the back. Both of these movablesections are provided with cushions, as. shown at E and, when the deviceisfextended for use as a bed, the said cushions are supportedunderneaththem, as shown; The side rails of the sections 0 and D are cutaway at those ends thereof hingedlyconnected, thus to allow the sectionD to assume an upstanding position When the article is used as a.dave'nport. A metal fabric bed bottom is arranged within and securedtothe sections B, C and D, as shownat F and will be completely housed bysaid sections when folded. The sections ,0 and Dare'provided with legs Gfor supporting them whenextended.

The structure heretofore described has already' 'been disclosed in thepatent hereinbears mentioned an'd'does not, in itself,

constitute any part of the present invene tion' The present improvementsvinclude opposed pairs of rods or links 1' and 2, the

links 1 of each pair being connected by eye bolts 3dr the like, toa'cross rail 0 forming a part ofthesectionG andlocated near th hingeconnection I-I between the two sectionsC and D. The other links 2 ofeach pair are similarly connected to a cross rail d forming a portion ofthe section D and located near .the hinge connection H. The links" '1and "2 of each pair are pivotally connected to a plate 3 or the likewhich may be provided with a hooked tongue 4 and the tongues of the twoplates engage the ends of a coiled spring 5 whichis" constantly undertension. The links land 2 and the plates 3 are so proportioned that,when the sections C and D are in aline nent while-in use as apart of theextended bed, the said links of each pair will be pulled out of line bythe spring as shownin Fig. 4, and the entire weight of the bed sections-C and D will be supported by the legs G. When it is desired to fold thedevice the user takes 7 hold ofthe front edge "of the section D andpulls upwardly. This causes said section toswing upwardly'relative tothe "section C at the connection H and as the rails c and Cl are locatedbelow the level of the hinge con nection 'H, such relative movement willcontinue until 'it' causes the links of each pair to move into lineagainst the action of the spring whereupon the intermediate section 0will also move upwardly. After the two sections C and D have beenrais'edacertain distance to relieve the spring 5 of the restre ntdue topressure against the section D,

the intermediate section a in Fig. 5 and cause them to draw together,

as shown in Fig. 6, thereby pulling the rails 0 and cl toward each otherand forcing the sections C and D to move out of line and to assumepositions to form the seat and back of the davenport, when brought intothe housing structure A. Thus it will be seen that the links operate astoggle connections yieldingly restrained in their actions by the singlespring connecting them. a

that is claimed is v l. The combination with a main structure, astationary section therein, ajmov'able end section, and an intermediatesection hingedly connected to the stationary and end sections, saidsections being shiftable into alinemen-t to form an extendedbed, of,means for automatically folding the end and intermediate sections whenraised out of extended position and for allowing a limited independentupward movement of the end section when the structure is extended, saidmeans including toggles connecting the intermediate and end sections,and an elastic connection between the toggles.

2. In a device of the character described the combination with astationarysection, an intermediate section hinged thereto and adaptedto, swing outwardlyftherebeyond, and an outer end section hinged to theintermediate section :and adapted to swing down wardly relative thereto,of spring controlled means for limiting the upward movement of the outersection relative to the inner section, transmitting motion to theintermediate section from the outer section, and for facilitat ingthe-movement of said outer section in the opposite direction relative tothe intermediate section. I i

v 3. In a device of the character described the combination with astationary section, an intermediate section hinged thereto and adaptedto swing thereonto and outwardly therebeyond, and an outer end sectionhinged to the intermediate section and adapted to swing into alinem'enttherewith when unfolded and'into upwardly extended or backformingposition when folded, of yieldingly controlled means connected tothefouter and intermediate sections, and below their hinges when thedevice is extended or unfolded'for limiting the upward swinging movementof the end section relative to theintcrmcfiiliate section when inextended position for transmitting motion from the outer section to andfor exerting a folding action upon said sections when raised out ofextended position.

4. In a device of the character described the combination with astationary section, an intermediate section hinged thereto, and an outersection hinged to the; intermediate section, said sections beingshiftable into 130 alinement to form a bed and being foldable to form adavenport seat, of toggles connecting the end and intermediate sectionsbelow the plane of the hinge connections when the device is extended, aspring connecting the toggles to hold the toggle links out of alinementwhen the device is extended, said spring and toggles cooperating tofacilitate the folding of the device when raised out of extendedposition. I

5. In a device of the character described the combination with hingedlyconnected sections, of toggles connecting the sections for transmittingmotion from one section to the other during the raising of the sections,and a spring connecting the toggles to hold them yieldingly underrestraint during the raising of the sections and tofold the toggles andthe sections when the sec- Gopies of this patent may be obtained tortions are raised past a predetermined point, said spring being movableto position parallel with and in juxtaposition with the adjoining edgesof said sections when folded.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0."

